Niamh (special needs) – ongoing rehabilitation / socialisation

About Niamh (special needs) – ongoing rehabilitation / socialisation

All About Me and My Unique Personality: Niamh is a sweet and soft pup who has had no exposure to the world having found herself dumped recently with her 6 siblings in locations spread around the Central Coast. Despite this compromised start, she is starting to warm up and realise that people and toys are fun. She does seem to find Men a bit more scary that women and does flinch if you try and pat or touch her. With women she does seem to warm up more quickly and enjoys a scratch around the ears.

My Ideal Home: Niamh needs a home where she will experience only positive calm influences to help further her rehabilitation. She is eager to please and adores being in the company of her foster Mum (a little too much at times for this little girl is a velcro pup).
As she is still a baby, she will need a family committed to further socialisation, exposure and boundary settling.
She is happy to sleep the night in a laundry and waits till morning to go outside for toilet time.
She is being offered for adoption locally. Please do not apply if you live outside the Central Coast, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter region.
Her adoption fee covers two vaccinations, flea, tick and worming and her future desexing (subject to signing a desex agreement and presenting her to one of our HAR affiliated vets for the surgery).

What is Known About My Background: Niamh is one of seven pups carelessly dumped in areas across the Central Coast. Sadly she was extremely fearful and shut down on her arrival into the pound and couldn't even walk, having to be carried everywhere. She has since blossomed into a sweet-natured dog slowly being shown that the world is full of love and kindness. She is getting braver every day but is likely to need a good amount of patience before she truly finds humans worthy of trust and not fear.
She is estimated to be around 5 months old and incredibly smart and energetic. She will make the most faithful companion once given a chance to decompress further in a loving home. She has such a soft and even temper.

How Do I Interact with Kids, Dogs, Cats and Other Pets: Niamh is fine with other gentle dogs and was quite dependent on her siblings to the point of verging on "litter mate syndrome" although since separation has overcome her separation anxiety like a trooper. She appeared quite submissive to her brother when re-introduced.
She would benefit from a home with another calm and playful doggie friend who could help build her confidence.
She has met some young children who played fetch with her in the yard and took treats very gently from their hands. She does find interaction with humans quite scary although a bit of BBQ chicken as a food reward has her eating out of your hand pretty quickly :-). She would not be suitable for a home with toddlers or children <5 years old as their sudden movements and squeals would likely scare her.
She has not been exposed to cats.
She is very very wary of strangers, especially males, and is now building her exposure to humans with slow and positive experiences being created, while in foster care, around new people.